The Octette Pitch Club

Auditions. Nothing scarier, in my opinion, except bald tires and second dates. However, since I can't expect directors who don't know me to call me up out of the blue and ask me to be a part of shows they don't know I'm interested in, every once in a while, I've got to suck it up and actually go try out for a play. This time, it was The Octette Bridge Club at Appleseed.

I arrived at Atonement Lutheran Church with no knowledge of the show, except what I gleaned from Appleseed's summary and a faint memory from an acting class I took half a lifetime ago. I made my way to the appropriate room and sat in silence, waiting for someone I knew to come in, wishing I'd brought a book with me. After a quick ransack of my black hole of a purse, all I found of possible entertainment value were my datebook, my passport, and a deck of Budweiser playing cards. (Ah, solitaire.) Eventually, though, more people showed up and the process got underway.

Now, I hadn't been to an audition since college, where we all just hung out in the auditorium during the readings. Everyone got to watch everyone else as we each waited for our turn. I knew some people who liked this method, as it gave them a chance to scope out their competition. Me, I prefer the way they do it at Appleseed, which is to hold the audition in two rooms: one for the actors reading for the production staff, and one for the actors waiting to read. It gave those of us waiting a chance to chat with each other, talk a little about the play. . .and that's actually it. That's almost all you can do with a group of people you just met.

Almost. You can also play cards, if you've got them.

The characters in Octette play bridge. We played pitch, substituting in for one another as groups of us were called into the other room to read. We had to make sure we were all playing by the same rules (ten and under gets a new hand, unless you've also got a two, etc.), but then we soon fell into an easy camaraderie. It was a little strange, playing cards with a group of women all trying out for a play about women who play cards. But it was also the least nerve-wracking audition I've ever been to.

I know you can't - and shouldn't try to - recreate an event, but I'll be making sure those cards are tucked into my purse again tonight.